In the right place I guess
I guess it depends on where you are. My experience is primarily in North and South Carolina. There are plenty of businesses that DO NOT outsource. The reasons that they don't can be because they can't (defense and some banking sectors) or that they won't because they need local employees that either have to travel or deal with clients that want to talk to people that speak native English and have a similar vernacular (many others).
I understand that not everywhere is going to be the same, but good results are still there if you go to the right places. My knowledge is mostly of the charlotte and raleigh areas of NC.
I know plenty of people that fit what I said earlier. I know a guy with just a high school diploma and 3 years of .Net experience that just left his job for a job that pays $76K with all kinds of nice benefits.
I know a guy with 3 years of experience and a BS in CS that makes $70K, a guy in raleigh with 2 years and a master's in CS that makes $63K with awesome benefits, and the list goes on and on.
It all depends on the industry and company you go into. Insurance, software specific companies, stock trading companies, mortgage companies, and bigger banks all are paying premiums and you don't need more than 4 years experience if its in in-demand skills.
If you don't believe me, just do a careerbuilder search in IT with a salary filter, and you'll see several that meet the criteria, but keep in mind that a lot of companies don't post it. Also, you can go to glassdoor.com and sign up (for free after you post an anonymous salary or review to help the site) and you'll see the same thing from actual employees. Hiring is rampant now in the banking area and a lot is contract to hire.
Yes, gone are the days of "the gold rush" in software development, but is still plenty of good jobs out there that pay well.
My dream was to be a programmer, and if someone is passionate about it, then they should know what's available. Anyone that doesn't have the drive to solve problems and is looking just for a check probably won't last long.
